The subject matter described and/or illustrated herein relates generally to filling gas cylinders with gas, and more particularly, to a method and system for filling a gas cylinder.
Various conditions may be met to properly and safely fill gas cylinders with gas. For example, various cylinder fill pressures exist for gas cylinders. If a gas cylinder is filled with the wrong pressure, the cylinder will not be completely filled or an overpressure will result, which may rupture an overpressure disc of the cylinder. Gas cylinders may also need to be periodically hydrostatically tested to ensure safe filling. Moreover, each gas cylinder has a specific service life based on the type of cylinder. Expired gas cylinders must be removed from service when the service life has expired. Moreover, if the hydrostatic test date or service life of a gas cylinder has expired, the cylinder should not be refilled.
At least some known gas cylinder filling systems use a manual process whereby a trained operator inspects each gas cylinder prior to filling to obtain the necessary information for properly and safely filling the cylinder. For example, at least some known processes for filling gas cylinders with gas require a visual inspection of the cylinder by a trained operator before the cylinder is filled. Operators may therefore need to be trained to properly inspect gas cylinders. For example, operators may need to be trained to determine the operating pressure of each cylinder and to manually set the filling system to the determined fill pressure. If the operator fails to set the fill pressure to the proper value, the cylinder may be insufficiently filled or the overpressure disc in the cylinder may rupture. Operators may also need to be trained to examine a manufactured date, an expiration date, and/or a hydrostatic test date on each gas cylinder to determine whether the cylinder should be in service before filling. For example, if the cylinder hydrostatic test date or service life has expired and is not observed by the operator, there is an increased risk of the cylinder failing during filling or operation. Moreover, maintenance and record keeping of cylinders may be required to ensure that cylinders are hydrostatically tested when required and/or have been taken out of service once service life has expired.
There is a need for a gas cylinder filling system that may be operated by an operator having less training as compared to at least some known gas cylinder filling systems. There is a need for a gas cylinder filling system that may reduce a number of operator errors as compared to at least some known gas cylinder filling systems.